Sock Washing Day

I've been meaning to do this for awhile -- take a pic of a rack full of my freshly-washed socks. I learned yesterday that this big rack holds 34 pairs, exactly. This means I have about 16 clean pairs left until these are dry.

Yes, I'm addicted to sock knitting. It's portable and easy, and my feet love the end product!

Currently working on a pair of blue socks for hubby. Our 25th wedding anniversary is this week, so I guess I'd better come through with something nice. I'm using the railway (or is it railroad) stitch from Nancy Bush's Vintage Socks book, and knitting with a gorgeous hand dyed Blue-Faced Leicester yarn from String Theory. I hope I have enough yarn to finish! Hubby's feet are 12 inches long...

One sock done so far, and a good 4 inches on the cuff of the second. I won't make it in time for the actual date of our anniversary, but maybe by the weekend...

Spinning through Adversity

I had a bad bronchitis/flu this week, which pretty well incapacitated me for an entire week. I'm still not quite "right" yet, but at least I'm a bit more "alive" than I was a week ago, and ready to go back to work tomorrow. In between all the sleeping I had to do to recover from this thing, I got some spinning done. Quite a lot of spinning, actually.This one is "Breaking Waves," a Coopworth/Alpaca/Silk blend from Feeling Sheepish, a fellow vendor on Etsy. This is 0.9 ounces of 2-ply gorgeousness, spindle-spun and plied for a total of 118 yards! I still have a 1.3 ounce batt left to spin, and if the yardage is comparable -- can't see why it wouldn't be -- I ought to be able to get a nice, lacy, something special out of it.
This is a nice Coopworth, dark brown/almost black with colored wool nupps and a wee hint of glitz, from Wild Hare Studios. This is more of a worsted weight, 2-ply, spun and plied on my Schacht. I have approximately 8 ounces of this, but haven't measured the yardage. Should be enough for a nice, long scarf, though. It's soft and lovely, and I enjoyed spinning it.
This one is two different rovings, spun as separate singles and plied together to make a heavy DK/light worsted weight yarn. The colored roving, "Thistle," is a blend of Coopworth and Alpaca, and came from Fibers 4 Ewe. The variegated gray strand was spun from a gorgeous Cotswold roving. I have about 474 yards of this stuff. It is nice and bouncy and lively, and I'm thinking it may appear as stripes in a sweater sometime soon. I just need to find the right background color. I do have megatons of the gray Cotswold, which I could use in its original color, or overdye with a dark green. Hmmm...have to think about that...

This one is my big brag skein. It is one of Enchanted Knoll Farm's "Vardo" batts. It weighs 1.9 ounces, and every bit was spindle spun and plied. This is a true laceweight, methinks, as in its present 2-ply form, it yielded 318 yards! I don't think I have ever managed to spin quite that fine before, and am quite excited about it. Now, what shall it be? Time will tell. I have another skein of this in my stash, and though I don't think its quite as fine-gauge as this one, it might be. I have to check.

So, I don't feel quite as awful about losing a week as I might have, looking at this luscious pile of yarn!

I have half a skein left from Grant's hat, so am making a matching cowl for myself. That way, I can always remember what the finished project looked like, without duplicating it exactly. If you happen to be on Ravelry, look for madangel and take a peek in my projects to see a pic of "The Hart Hat" perched upon Mr. Hart's noggin. I was thrilled beyond belief when I saw it last week. First time I have ever seen my work upon the artist it was designated for. It's easier to get a photo of a hat from a non-knitter than it is to get one of his feet; hence I have no pics of any of the socks I've made for Larry Kirwan actually on Larry Kirwan. Maybe I need to make Larry a hat, too? But I think he rarely wears a hat, and I do owe him a pair of socks again one of these days.

Still waiting to hear if a) Grant wants socks, and b) what size his feet are if he does.

Random Act of Knitting

Hoping the intended recipient would not think I was out of my mind, or stalking him, or God only knows what other sort of weirdness I might be capable of, I mailed this hat on February 25th.

The yarn is a gorgeous, hand-dyed superwash merino from String Theory in Blue Hill, Maine. The colorway is called "Cedar," and it was an absolute pleasure to knit with.
The pattern is one I found on Ravelry: Windschief by Stephen West. I love the swath of diagonal ribbing, because it makes me think of the way a fella's hair might blow back in the wind as he drives along with the car top down.
The evergreen colors called to mind a beautiful song by Grant Hart, "Evergreen Memorial Drive." The link will actually take you to a video of two songs, the first being "2541," which is also a nice song, but "Evergreen" is the one that kept running through my head while I worked on this.

I probably went on far too long in the letter I enclosed with the hat, and I had more than one "my God, what was I thinking" moment in the last couple of weeks. And then, on Friday, a letter!

"I knew before the box was opened that it contained a hat. It was on my head in 2 seconds, flat. I was in need of a spring hat...the textured section is very foxy indeed..."

His full response was somewhat longer than that, and I will treasure it always, along with his music.

And I have the joy of knowing I was able to give a small comfort to yet another musician who has given me so much over the course of many years.

Socks for Larry Kirwan.

A hat for Grant Hart.

Larry is due for another pair of socks. It has been about a year since the last pair. Oops! I'd better get cracking on that sometime soon.

And see if I can get Grant to tell me how big his feet are...

The Drumming Outfit

I finally found my ideal drumming outfit. Milford circle, here I come!

In honor of...

...growing another year older tomorrow, I learned a song of Grant's that has grown very near and dear to my heart in the last few weeks. I find it uplifting. It gave me, among other things, an idea for a story, mere days after my plunge into the slough of despond not so long ago. I tried to stay true to the feel of solo Grant, rather than the Hüsker Dü original. I like the slower, more reflective tempo he uses now, though the original version is wonderful in its own right. Just faster and more electric than I am capable of reproducing.

Recorded on my Zen X-Fi and enhanced with Audio Editor Pro. I am by no means a "pro" when it comes to using this software, but I did manage to smooth off some of the sharper edges, and make it sound a bit less like it was recorded in my bedroom.

Hope you enjoy...

Flexible Flyer

So...

Funny how life can be at times. I plunge into what seems the worst possible nadir of depression, write the most dismal poem I have probably ever written, and begin to feel better.

My "I paid way too much for it" copy of Grant Hart's out-of-print acoustic CD, Ecce Homo, also helped by arriving in the post on Friday.

Saturday, I went and had a long, excellent visit with my friend Sue, and I brought my drum to show her, and we also spindled, knitted, and talked and talked and talked, as we have not had a chance to in a long time. I cherish this woman. We struggle with some of the same issues, and I know after sharing some of my troubles with her and learning I'm not alone, I feel so much better, like I can go on, the moment after my dreams have died.

And have they really died?

On my bad days, yes. I can't see past the bad day gloom and doom. It's hard to find anything that really helps in any obvious way.

On my good days, I feel differently about everything. Today, for instance, after Friday's wallow, Saturday with Sue, and Sunday dealing with a waterbed that had sprung a leak, I came home from work and sat down and wrote, in a blitz, an eight-page short story. Inspired by a song of Grant's, it began to come to me this morning while I was sitting amongst my tools and wires. I hoped it would be with me still when I got home, and lo and behold, after an hour or two, it was. I am very happy with the end result, though I know in a few days' time there will probably be a bunch of things I need/want to fix.

But for now, the story pleases me, the repairs to the waterbed have held, my bedroom is neater than it has been in months, and I feel pretty darn good.

Grant, even though you'll probably never see my blog, I still want to thank you for "Flexible Flyer." Food for thought, and catalyst for a story. My arse has been saved by music, and my response to it, yet again.

Grant Hart, Brighton Bar December 18, 2009

Any Grant fans know the name of this exquisite little number?

Grant Hart, Middle East, Cambridge MA, 11 Jan 2010 (1/4)

Never Talking To You and Flexible Flyer.

Bad Day at Black Rock

That's what my father used to say when I was little, and we'd had a bad day fishing. As I get older, though, I tend to think of that phrase, wryly, when my mood matches the sentiment.

As of today, I have 18 days let to be 47. Once again, I feel wiggy and weird about the approach of my birthday. Another year, and what have I accomplished?

If acceptance of the fact that life just has not worked out at all the way I thought it might back in my semi-optimistic youth is an accomplishment, then so be it.

But I'm not there yet. I'm still in kicking and screaming mode. Railing at fate one last time before my star -- if I ever really had one -- has faded, and I sink into anonymity.

I only know I have to say this somewhere. I don't know where else to take it but here. So, for what it's worth...

Coffee Break Musings

Be still; stand by respectfully; bow your head and doff your hat

And hearken to the wind that carries my sigh.

Listen a moment and hear,

O hear my feeble cry,

Borne on that wind as my dreams die.

Time and years have swept on by.

Why was I so unaware of their passing?

How did I come to be so old,

With my songs unsung and my tales untold?

Or is it simply

That I have sung and I have told,

But no one ever really heard?

And why do I think they’ll listen now?

Does anyone really know or care to pause and listen

As the wind blows by, bearing my sigh?

Do they matter to any, these tears that I cry

While the cruel wind tears away my last sigh?

O, won’t you acknowledge this moment at all?

Be still; stand respectfully a few small seconds,

And hear the wind fleeing away with my sighs?

Will you bow your head and doff your hat,

And hold it close against your breast

While you stand still and silent and grave,

And mourn with me as the wind swirls by?

Hear, o hear that sighing sound.

Stay close by my side and hold my hand,

And assure me there’s reason to carry on

The moment after my dreams have died.

~CP Warner~

5 February 2010

It Only Took Twenty Years...

His album, "Intolerance," sounds as fresh to me today as it did in 1990, when my sister first gave me a copy. From the opening track, "All of My Senses" to the poignant last words of "She Can See the Angels Coming," I was riveted. Listened to it over and over and over, along with Nova Mob's "Last Days of Pompeii," and couldn't get enough.

My sister lived in the Twin Cities in those days, and she got to see Grant Hart play as a soloist, and as the lead singer/drummer in Nova Mob on numerous occasions. Stranded in New England, I couldn't even get to the one show I heard of, in Providence at the now defunct Living Room. If only I could have gotten a babysitter that night, but no such luck. I was so envious of my sister having such ready access to those shows. Not only that, but sometimes she even got to talk to him. Hot damn!

So, "Tell him!" I said. "Tell him that I, a classically trained musician, am mightily impressed with his work!"

I don't think she ever had enough conversation time to share that with him, but...

I guess I forgot to mention that Grant played ALL the instruments and sang ALL the vocals on "Intolerance." Keys, guitars, drums, voice, sound effects...the sheer versatility and skill blew me away.

I bought his other CDs as soon as I heard of them. Sadly, I don't own every single one he did since the break-up of Husker Du, but I do have most of them. And it had been a very long time indeed since the release of "Good News for Modern Man," about nine years, actually, when a random e-mail landed in my inbox, announcing concerts in the Greater Boston area. I usually give such things a cursory glance and hit delete, but something prompted me to read this one, and there, way down at the bottom...Grant Hart at the Middle East? Oh, sweet Jesus! When? And the tickets are how much? NINE DOLLARS????? You never saw a person head for the ticketmaster site faster than I did that morning. And then it slowly dawned on me: if he's touring, there must be a NEW ALBUM.

Indeed, there was. Hot Wax is fabulous. I can't seem to get enough of the opening track, "You're the Reflection of the Moon on the Water."

But I digress.

We have fast-forwarded from 1990 to 2010, twenty years since I first heard "Intolerance" and "Last Days of Pompeii." Grant Hart is coming to the Middle East in Cambridge, and I have tickets in hand, and a head full of all the music of his that I own. I am ready for him on Monday night. More than ready, after twenty very long years!

He is not touring with a band. It's just Himself with an electric guitar, and maybe a few distortion/overdrive pedals. (I'm guessing here, as I'm not much of a gearhead). When he arrives, I recognize him instantly, but other folks don't seem to. He just walks in quietly with his guitar case, eyes twinkling as he passes. I'm not sure exactly what to expect, but am certain it will be interesting.

Within minutes, I've changed that opinion. Interesting, my arse! I cannot take my eyes off him. He draws me closer and closer to the stage, into a sea of people, and that's no mean feat: I generally avoid being hemmed in by crowds like the plague. But in this case, I don't see them. There is only this man, and this astounding music, and the poetry.

He plays and sings hard for a full hour and a half, performing at least 20 songs. So many favorites are going by, one after the other. And towards the end of the performance, I add up the time, and realize: Twenty years. My God, I have been waiting for this night for twenty years! And then, as the evening draws to a close, I feel driven to share that thought with him. I MUST let him know...

As these things go, if you miss your moment, it's gone. If it's meant to happen, it will happen.

He passes by me and in a second he will be in the thick of the crowd, and I won't have the nerve to follow. And so I speak.

"Grant!"

He hears me, and whirls 'round on the instant, shining a beatific smile on me. Furthermore, though we have never met before, he is looking at me as if he knows me, and has known me for a very long time. There's that twinkle in his eyes, brows raised inquiringly. He is not tall, and I am more or less nose to nose with him.

I lean towards him and say it: "I've been waiting to hear you play live for twenty years!"

The smile gets broader and he laughs, and replies, "Well, it's about f*cking time!"

Then I'm laughing, too, and what do I say in return? "Yes, Grant. Yes it is."

I tell him we have a friend in common back in the Twin Cities, whereupon he inquires if I smoke. There's a pack of cigarettes in his hand, and he's in the process of shaking one loose. I'm not a smoker and tell him so, at which point he takes my hand and starts moving towards the exit door. "Come with me anyway!" he says, and my head is reeling. A quick hello is turning into an opportunity for a more in-depth conversation. He is acting as if I'm an old and dear friend, and I am utterly at ease with him.

We are halfway to the door, and I am telling him I'll be happy to walk out with him, but just as we are halfway to his destination, he is waylaid by someone who wants CDs.

He offers an apologetic shrug and a smile, and says, "I'm sorry, but I guess I have to deal with commerce now."

"That's all right," I say, feeling lucky to have spent as much time with him as I have. "I've got to go now anyway, but--Grant, thank you so much! It was beautiful."

And I'm caught in a bear-hug that lasts awhile, and we say goodbye.

I hope that someday, some way, we might have a chance to resume that conversation, but even if we don't, at least he knows what the music has meant to me all this time. What it will continue to mean.

"What's left is all that remains to be seen." ~Grant Hart~

Long Time No Update

Wish I was Here, though perhaps not right now, when it's gotten awfully cold in Massachusetts, and so must be even worse in Northern Maine. These pics were taken in August, in Baxter State Park, during a week of Record High Temps in Maine. honestly, I have all the luck. Go someplace cool in the heat of high summer and walk right into totally non-typical weather in Vacationland. Well, at least there was one day when it was cool enough (sort of) to hike.
Can I remember the name of this spot now? Heck, no, but it sure was pretty, even though Daphne and I had both been stung by the same hornet by the time this pic was snapped. Dang thing bounced off my hand and on to her shoulder. Lesson learned by Daphne: don't tailgate Mom on a hike in the woods.
Then Daphne took a pic of me and Keith.
Now on to some recent spinning. One bobbin of Gray Cotswold, and one of a luscious BFL roving from Infinite Spirals. It was called Sand & Sea, and I couldn't resist, even though it was the last 2.5 ounces. I decided to ply it with the Cotswold to maximize my yardage.

And here's the plied skein, which is rather highly energized and still needs a wash.6.15 ounces, 490 yards. Looks like it might be a great sock yarn, as the twist is really tight. I'll see what it's like after it has had its bath.

All through with the final edit of Doubtful Sound and am now contemplating how to tackle writing a synopsis. I really should have one written before I start sending out query letters. Also contemplating how to compose a heart-stoppingly thrilling query letter that will make some Big Publisher shout, "This woman is a genius! We must publish her NOW!"

Well, I can dream, can't I? LOL.

Doubtful Sound Update

If you have been following my Story, Doubtful Sound, please see my latest update. There are two pages. You may link to the second page by clicking "NEXT" at the bottom of the first page.

I have made a much-needed artistic decision.

If you have been reading, please wish me luck, send good vibes, say a prayer, or whatever.

One way or another, someday in the not-too-distant future, this will be a real book you can hold in your hands, and enjoy.

New Spinning Batts!

These are fresh off the carder today, my friends. If any of them calls your name loudly, please feel free to visit Mad Angel Creations and indulge yourself!

Iris. Wool, Silk Noil, & Angelina.

Water Lily. Wool, Silk Noil, & Angelina.

Fire. Wool, Bamboo, & Angelina.

Recent Spinning

From Portland Fiber Gallery and Weaving Studio. This was a gorgeous, soft, superwash merino and seacell blend roving, hand-dyed in a coorway called "Ocean Breeze." 8.55 ounces of roving yielded 748 yards of 2-ply yarn. It's kind of a heavy fingering weight, about 2 wraps per inch. I had never tried seacell before. Fabulous stuff!
This one came from my friend Sue at RI Handspun. Alpaca, mohair, silk and a bit of angelina for sparkle. It spun up like a dream. 4.85 ounces yielded 286 yards of 2-ply, again in a sort of thick fingering weight. I love the woodsy colors in this!
Last but not least is the yarn I made up from about half of the samples from my June Phat Fiber box, mixed with some black roving I had on hand. I think it will end up being a hat. I think I want to try doing the heavier version of Boho Knitter Chic's wonderful slouch beret, Sweet Georgia. (I featured my lighter weight version in my last blog post.)I did end up washing and blocking my Sweet Georgia snood after all, and it fits and drapes even better than it did before its bath.

And I have to let any snood fans know about Distinctive Hair Coverings! This lady does beautiful work. My favorite thing purchased from her so far is something she calls a "scarf gripper." It is a simple, elasticized velvet band which, when applied with the nap facing in the proper direction, holds your hair back without slipping, AND keeps your snood/hat/scarf in place ALL DAY LONG! No barrettes or clips needed. I put the band on, then my head covering du jour, and I don't have to even think about it again until I am ready to remove my head covering for sleeping.

The passion for head coverings is partially spiritual, but mostly due to the fact that I have Big Hair and don't like to braid it or bun it or ponytail it. I like it to hang somewhat loose, so it doesn't give me headaches. I know, I could cut it, but I really don't want short hair at this point in my life. Not sure why. I have had very short hair in the past and liked it, but...I just don't want it that way now. I also do not want my longer, fuller, wilder hair in my eyes, up my nose, in my mouth while I'm eating dinner...you get the idea.

Oh, and it's also a nuisance flying around when I'm drumming. I can't drum and itch my nose at the same time. I'm just not that co-ordinated.

So, I'm experimenting with head coverings. And I like the way they look, and the way they make me feel.

Sweet Georgia is my favorite pattern of all so far. Watch this space for the next editions thereof!

In a Snood Mood

My Sweet Georgia snood!I cast this on last night and finished it about half an hour ago.It was a simple, pleasant project, and I found I couldn't put it down once I had begun.Yarn is my own hand-plied wool/camel blend in a really nice heathered purple color.I Navajo-plied this on my Roberta, from some commercial singles I got as a mill-end from UniStar a few years ago. I've used this yarn for socks before (in a different color) and loved it. Turns out it's equally nice for lace!

Still trying to decide if I should block this or not...

My First Tie-Dye Ever!

So, in my quest for good performance clothing for drumming (provided I ever get good enough), I've checked out a lot of websites with some truly spectacular garments I simply cannot afford to buy right now. Lucky for me, I remembered Dharma Trading Co. while on my quest. I cannot say enough good things about this little company, so I'll touch on my favorite basics: excellent customer service, huge variety of products, great prices, and mega-fast shipping. If you're looking for dyes and cool items to dye, look no further than these folks. Awesome. Simply unbeatable!

Anyhoo, I like Caftans. They are big, floaty, and really comfortable, and Dharma has beautiful plain white rayon ones just waiting for dye. They also have iDye, a Jacquard product for those of us who want to experiment with easy-peasy fiber-reactive dyeing. I didn't know if I really wanted to invest in a lot of extra dye-setting chemical yet, so iDye was perfect. See?
They do caution that iDye is not the most colorfast dye they sell, but it's way better than anything one can buy in the local Wal-Mart, certainly. And I expect the color to last well enough with an occasional cold water wash. These caftans will not see heavy every day wear.I will wear these to church in the summer, mostly, and if I drum "out" someday, I will wear them in performance.I ordered the plus size, so I would have extra room to move. These pics were all taken after all the pre-washing, post-dye rinsing, washing, and machine drying were done. There was a lot of shrinkage, BUT Dharma has these things sized so huge you could fit a couple of elephants in them prior to processing. Shrinkage was a good thing in this case.Yup, see how big it is? I do love the way it came out, though. The orange one has just finished simmering, so it's bath and rinse time for it now. And very soon I will have two whole brand-new dresses for summer and drumming wear for a mere $50. That includes the dye and sundries needed for the job. Can't beat that!

On Being Re-invented...AGAIN!!!!

What does an ex-chorister do for fun when the singing is over?

No, that's not a joke. There is no punch line. Say hello to my new djembe!
This beautiful drum came from Mali, via Sidy, who teaches my drum class.

I wanted to provide the goatskin head of my drum with extra protection while toting it around in its case, so I knitted up a djembe hat from some handspun I had lying around. The color mix is quite Rastafarian. I thought so when I bought the roving from Sue a couple of years ago, and I still think so. It looks great knitted up, and I might even have enough left over to make a slouch beret for myself.
Having sung higher voice parts all my life, I decided I wanted the deepest-toned drum I could possibly get: the exact opposite of what my voice does. Deep, low, and loud. This drum is perfect in that respect.It's also a lot of drum for me to grow into. It will last me a long, long time.
Here's a close-up of the hat. I do love the way it came out.

Now, why African drumming, when I have never (up until 2 weeks ago, that is) touched a djembe before?

Well, there is a nice little drum circle in residence at my church. They don't play in church often, but they did on Pentecost, and it totally blew me away. I had been intrigued by the idea of playing myself in the recent past, but there was no time. I was too embroiled in choir. There were plenty of other excuses as well, all lined up in neat little rows. But the drums were always in the back of my mind.

Now, at last, the time is right. "Stop thinking about it. Just do it," came the message, loud and clear.

Interestingly enough, that was one of the directions Sidy gave, too, to everyone in attendance at my first meeting with the class.

So, I am trying to let go of thought as I practice alone. To feel the rhythms without over-analyzing them. There are three I am working on for this week's class, and they are not as easy as they might seem to a listening bystander. Sometimes I can drum accurately, without even looking at my hands. And sometimes I get terribly out of synch. But it will come in time. A new rhythm bit will be added for me to learn this week. Piece by piece, stroke by stroke, a whole song will emerge in time. I don't even aspire to solo. It's enough for me, now, to strive to be a competent part of the whole, and feel where I fit within the structure, and listen while Sidy takes a solo.

I love it. :-)

New Goodies!

Please stop by the shop for a closer look!

New Stuff!

For sale now at Mad Angel Creations!
Hand-dyed Sock Yarn, "Tourmaline," 100 % wool, non-superwash, 500 yds (475 m).
Hand-dyed Sock Yarn, "Periwinkle," 100% Superwash BFL, 400 yds (365 m).
Hand-plied fingering weight, a blend of equal parts Silk, Flax, and Polyester, 600 yds (548 m).
Hand-dyed Sock Yarn, "Dayflower," 100% non-superwash wool, 500 yds (475 m)
Hand-dyed Sock Yarn, "Autumn Splendor," Superwash Merino & Nylon blend, 440 yds (402 m).

June Phat Fiber!

My box came in today! What to mess around with first? I am completely unable to make a decision, so at the moment am simply spinning what I already had on my wheel. Some really pretty stuff in this box!